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Boston Celtics (20-19) at Cleveland Cavaliers (14-25)
Wednesday, March 16, 2021
8:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #40, Road Game #22
TV: NBCSB, FSO, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5, Sports Hub, WMMS 100.7, WTAM 1100
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Probable Starters 
PG: Kemba Walker ...................................... SG: Jaylen Brown
C: Daniel Theis
SF: Jayson Tatum ............................................ PF: Semi Ojeleye
Celtics ReservesMarcus Smart
Javonte Green
Payton Pritchard
Robert Williams III
Tacko Fall
Jeff Teague
Carsen Edwards
Aaron Nesmith
Tremont Waters
Grant Williams
InjuriesRomeo Langford (covid) out
Tristan Thompson (covid) out
Head CoachBrad Stevens
Probable Starters 
PG: Darius Garland ................ SG: Collin Sexton
C: Jarrett Allen
SF: Isaac Okoro ................. PF: Larry Nance, Jr
Cavaliers Reserves Quinn Cook
Damyean Dotson
JaVale McGee
Cedi Osman
Lamar Stevens
Brodric Thomas
Dean Wade
Dylan Windler
Injuries/NWTMatthew Dellaveova (abdomen) out
Andre Drummond (trade) out
Taurean Prince (shoulder) questionable
Kevin Love (calf) questionable
Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff
Game Notes The Celtics travel to Cleveland for the 2nd of 3 games against the Cavaliers this season. The Celtics beat the Cavs 141-103 in Boston on January 24. These two teams will meet for a 3rd time on May 12 in Cleveland. The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game in 4 nights.
The Celtics have slipped to 6th in the East, 7 games behind Philadelphia and 1 game behind the Heat (4th) and half a game behind Charlotte (5th). They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and 8-13 on the road. The Cavs are 12th and 4.5 out of 8th. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and 9-10 at home. they have lost their last 4 games.
The Celtics won the series 4-0 last season. They are 134-80 all time vs the Cavs and 54-54 all time on the road. Cleveland has lost their last 9 games against the Celtics with their last win on February 11, 2018. Cleveland finished a 3 game road trip in Miami on Tuesday and this game begins a 4 game home stand for them.
Both teams are playing on the second night of back to back games. The Celtics lost to Utah 117-109 at home on Tuesday and then hit the road to take on the Cavs in Cleveland on Wednesday. The Celtics are 3-4 on the second night of back to back games. The Cavs lost to the Heat in Miami on Tuesday night. They are 4-4 on the second night of back to back games.
For the Celtics, Romeo Langford and Tristan Thompson are both out due to health and safety protocols. Semi Ojeleye started on Tuesday and since Marcus Smart is still on a minutes restriction and because it is back to back, I'm going to guess that Semi will start this game.
For the Cavs, Matthew Dellavedova (abdomen) is out. Taurean Prince (shoulder) is questionable. Kevin Love (calf) is questionable and should start if he is available. Andre Drummond is sitting out while they try to trade him. Larry Nance, Jr started on Tuesday and if Kevin Love is out for this game will likely start again. If love can play, he will likely return to the starting lineup.
Key Matchups vs
Kemba Walker vs Collin Sexton
Sexton is averaging 23.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 48% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. He scored 13 points in 16 minutes against the Celtics in January. He is their top scorer and slowing him down will go a long way toward getting a win.
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Darius Garland
Garland is averaging 15.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.1 steals. he is shooting 44% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. Brown should be able to win this matchup.
Honorable MentionDaniel Theis vs Jarrett Allen
Allen is averaging 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. He is shooting 66% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc so he is a threat to score both inside and out and Theis will need to stay with him because if he gets an open shot, most likely he will hit it.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is always a key to winning games. The Celtics have let their defense slip this season and need to get back to making defense a priority if they hope to get past the first round of the playoffs. The top teams in the league are there because they also have a top defense. The Celtics need to play tough team defense if they want to win.
Rebound - Next to defense, rebounding is a key to winning. Much of rebounding is effort and desire and when the Celtics put out the extra effort on the boards, it usually carries through to the rest of their game. The Cavs are averaging 43.2 rebounds per game while the Celtics are averaging 44.0 rebounds per game. The Celtics must crash the glass as a team and give extra effort on the boards in this game.
Play as a Team - The Celtics need to move the ball and find the open man. When they do that, they play very well. When they play hero ball and over dribble and look for their own shot first, it usually ends in a loss. They must trust each other and move the ball and play as a team.
Play 48 Minutes -The Celtics need to start out strong and play focused for 48 minutes. If they Celtics build a lead, they have to keep playing hard and not lose focus and allow the Cavs to gain confidence. They need to play hard from start to finish.
Don't Underestimate - It would be easy to underestimate the Cavaliers with a 14-25 record and a 38 point win over them already this season. The Celtics could easily expect to come in and win without a lot of effort. But, that always backfires. The Cavs will play hard and if the Celtics don't match their effort, they could be surprised with another loss to a team they should beat.
X-Factors Back to Back - Both teams are playing on the second night of back to back games. Both teams are playing 3 games in 4 nights. Both teams had to travel after Tuesday night's game. Which team will have more energy down the stretch to win this game?
Officiating - The style of officiating can affect the outcome of a game. They don't even have to favor one team over the other. When officials call every little bit of contact, the Celtics seem to struggle. When the refs let them play, the Celtics play much better. Hopefully the refs call it fairly and let both teams play.
Topic: Celtics (20-19) at Cavaliers (14-25) Game #40 3/17/21 (Read 30398 times)